Improvement in car-couplings



D. L. ADAMS.

v Car-Coupling.

No, 160,635 Patented March 9,1875.

THE GRAPHIQ C0.PHOTO.-LITH.398 41 PARK PLAGEJLY.

A'IENT FFIGE.

DAVID L. ADAMS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,635, dated March 9,1875; application filed August 8, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DAVID L. ADAMS, of Buffalo, State of New York haveinvented a Gar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification Myinvention relates to that class of carcouplings that couple the carsautomatically by means of pivoted hooks; and it consists in theconstruction of the draw-head, having the hook pivoted within lugssituated on the top of the draw-head, said hook swinging vertically toengage and disengage with a vertical catch-plate, having an inclinedface, situated above the buffer surface and extending transversely theentire Width of the face of the draw-head, and projecting over the sidesof the same, to insure the positive and unobstructed action of the hook;also, in providing the buffer-surface with an aperture for the receptionof an ordinary link and the inclined catch-plate, with the pin-aperturepassing vertically through the said draw-head and linkapert-ure;furthermore, in the arrangement of levers for operating the hook fromeither side of the car, in a manner hereinafter described.

In order to enable any one skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I shall describe its constructionand operation, having reference to the accompanying drawings, which makepart of this specification and illustrate my invention more fully.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improvedcarcouplin g as attached to a railroad-car. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the draw-head; Fig. 3, a top view of the operating-levers L L andFig. 4 a side elevation of the coupling complete.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

A is one of the ends of a railroadcar, to which my coupling is attached.B is the drawhead, constructed of suitable material. It consists of theinclined catch-plate 0, having the aperture E for the admission of acoupling-pin, the buffer-surface G, with the aperture D for thereception of an ordinary link, the curved hook F, and the shank G. (l isthe catch-plate. Its front is an inclined surface, and its back aperpendicular wall. It is extending across and projecting over one orboth of the sides of the draw-head B sufficiently to present to the hookF a catch-plate of ample width to insure the proper coupling under allcircumstances. One of the sides of the draw-headthat opposite the hookF-is diminished in width behind the perpendicular catch-surface, toallow the hook to fully engage with the same without obstruction. F is aslightly-curved coupling-hook. It is pivoted within lugs F on the top ofthe draw-head B, and extends sufficiently over the draw-head to engagewith the catch-plate of the opposite car, allowing also the necessaryplay. The hook F is pivoted Within lugs on the top of the draw head, toallow the use of a straight or only slightly-curved coupling-hook, inconnection with the inclined catch-plate above the aperture for theordinary link-coupling, which aperture should occupy the same place asthose of the ordinary link-coupling, in order to engage my improvedcoupling with an old style coupling whenever occasion requires. If thishook were pivoted within the sides of the draw-head, it would berequired to be curved so much as to cause its liability to straightenfrom the tensile strain exerted upon the same when pulling the load. Thehook F is operated by means of the chain K, attached with one end to thehook, and with the other end to the lever L, in a manner hereinafter tobe described. G is the shank of the drawhead. It is attached to the carin the usual manner, and fits the draw-timbers of the same without anymaterial alteration thereon. lt is provided with the usual springs. L Lare two levers for operating the hook F. They have their fulcrums uponthe studs N, fastened to the face of the car. L is provided with aslot-hole near its end, and with two lugs-the lower one for attachingthe chain K, and the upper one for connecting with the hand-rod L LeverL is provided on its extremity with a fork, and connects with the leverL by a pin passing through the same. The levers L L tit the studsloosely, so that they will allow a horizontal and vertical motion of thesame, and can be operated from either side of the car, so that wheneverone of the levers L is operated the opposite lever willperform the samemotion. L is a hand-rod attached to the lever L, and passing through asocket, 0, said socket 0 being the fulcrum for the hand-rod L Thethree'levers L, L and L being connected with each other, operatesimultaneously whenever one is actuated. P are two stops, attached oneon each side of the face of the car. They are for the purpose of keepingthe levers L and L in their proper places. Each of these stops isprovided with two hooks or catches, l? and P sufficiently distant fromthe face of the car to allow the levers L L to be placed behind thesame.

It will be observed that the catch-plate O is projecting over the sidesof the draw-head. By constructing this catch-plate this wise I amenabled to reduce the width of the drawhead so much that it will fit thedraw-timbers of any car furnished with the old-style linkand-pincoupling without material, if any, alteration thereon, thus greatlyreducing the cost of my draw-head and of fitting the same to an oldtcar.The catch'plate O is situated above the buffer-surface 0, provided withthe aperture D for the reception of the ordinary coupling-link, and isof such a width as to insure the proper connection of the cars under themost unfavorable circumstances-as, for instance, when the cars have tobe coupled when upon a curve, or when they are of different gage,&c.--one of the side plates of the draw-head being diminished in widthbehind the perpendicular catch-surface to allow the unobstructed actionof the hook F of the opposite car.

The operation of the coupling, and also of the uncoupling, device is asfollows: Supposing a train of cars to be uncoupled, and thecoupling'hooks F in the position as shown in the drawings, in order touncouple hold is taken of one of the levers L L which, being connectedto each other, work simultaneously,

and can be operated from the sides of the cars without stepping betweenthe same, and the lever L lifted out of the catch P, and, after beingswung horizontally to clear the catch P depressedand engaged with thecatch P This will have the elfect of lifting the hook F out of contactwith the catch-plate O of the opposite car, and also of placing theopposite lever in the same position as that operated upon. If it'isdesirable to uncouple the cars from the top of the same, the hand-rod Lis actuated to make the levers L L perform the operation described, thesocket O acting thereby as a fulcrum to swing the levers L Lhorizontally to disengage with the catches P and engage the same withthe catches P or vice versa.

To engage a set of cars it is merely necessary to remove the lever Lfrom the catch P when the hook F will drop into a horizontal position,so that when the two cars are pushed together the hooks F will travel upthe inclined surface of the catch-plate O, and, after having passed theupper, drop back into the position first occupied, thus couplingautomatically. The buffer-surface G arrests the momentum of the carswhen pushed together, in connection with springs placed behind the shankof the draw-head B. 7

Should two cars have to be coupled, one of which has my improvedhook-coupling and the other the ordinary link and pin, the coupling willbe accomplished by means of the link entering the aperture D, inconnection with a pin passing through the pin-hole E.

The hooks F are pivoted within lugs F, situated on the top of thedraw-head B, and are slightly curved. By extending the lugs Fsufficiently above the top ofthe draw-head a straight hook may besubstituted.

Having thus fully described my invention, I desire to secure to me byLetters Patent- 1. The draw-head B, having the horizontal link-apertureD within, and the inclined catchplate 0, with the pin-hole E, above thebuffersurface 0, the inclined catch-plate extending transversely across,and projecting over, the sides of the draw-head B, (one of the samebeing reduced in width below the apex of the inclined catch-plateC,) andengaging with the hook F, pivoted within lugs F on the top of thedraw-head B, all combined substantially in the manner and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the levers L L supported upon studs N, withcapability of vertical and horizontal movement, and the rod L alsocapable of horizontal and vertical motion, of the stops 1?, providedwith catches 1?, all constructed to operate substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. The draw-head B, with the inclined catchplate or shoulder O on alevel with or projectin g above, and extending transversely across andprojecting over, one or both of the side plates or walls of thedraw-head B, and having lugs F, for supporting the pivot of the hook F,formed above the draw-head B, -substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

DAVID L. ADAMS.

Witnesses MICHAEL J. STARK, l/V. P. TAYLOR.

